(LAFAYETTE) — A Subaru plant in northwest Indiana is set for a $158 million expansion that will create 350 new jobs by adding a new service parts facility and a transmission assembly shop, the automaker said Wednesday.
Subaru of Indiana Automotive said both projects will be located on the plant’s 820-acre Lafayette campus, with the transmission assembly shop to be added to the existing plant. Construction of that addition and the stand-alone service parts facility is expected to begin this summer at the plant, located about 60 miles (96 kilometers) north of Indianapolis.
The SIA plant — Subaru’s only manufacturing facility outside of Asia — employs more than 6,000 workers who build the Ascent, Impreza, Legacy and Outback models for North America.
Since the plant began operation in 1989, its annual production has increased from 67,000 vehicles to a projected 410,000 vehicles in 2020. About 50% of all Subaru’s sold in North America are built in Indiana.
“Our production levels have tripled over the past 10 years. These new projects are exciting growth opportunities to help us meet increasing customer demand,” said Scott Brand, SIA’s senior vice president of administration and quality.
Subaru of Indiana Automotive is a subsidiary of Subaru Corp. The new projects at the Lafayette plant are among several made there since the plant opened. Recently, the company spent $140 million to support the plant’s production of the Subaru Ascent, a three-row crossover.
